Yarn Shop Review: Noah’s Landing

I mentioned Noah’s Landing in Ohio before, as Katherine and I taught together there this past fall. I taught a morning session and Katherine did the rest. Susan Sivey has this wonderful shop situated in her home. She has a dye kitchen near the shop, and carries her own handpainted yarns in her shop along with a large variety of lace weight yarns. She carries others as well, but her selection of lace weight is the best I have seen. She also carries a nice assortment of Habu Textiles yarns.

 I am going to be teaching at Cherry Valley Lodge this weekend at the Temptations Knitting Retreat in Newark Ohio, near Dublin. I am going to have to see how far that is from where we are teaching, or I will have to make a trip up to Ohio so I can peruse her selection again.

 Love to knit lace? It is worth the trip, but contact her first as I am not sure what her store hours are. They do vary so a call or email will ensure happy shopping.

Here is the contact information:

Noah’s Landing
7575 Brown Rd.
Shreve, OH 44676
330 496 9065
noahwool@earthlink.net

Peace and Knitting, JoLene Treace

Shipping to the UK: Nestucca Bay Yarns

Well I had a very kind knitter from the UK who posted to my blog today asking about Charlotte. I pointed her to my vendors (links under blog roll for those with online ordering that have my patterns on their web site). And she kindly let me know that Nestucca Bay Yarns ships to the UK. WooHoo!

That is a good thing to know, and one which I wanted to talk about. Nestucca Bay Yarns is located in Pacific City Oregon, and they have been very good to me. I like to promote local yarn stores as much as I can, and my vendors in particular. I have some really great people I do business with. Marilyn King of Black Water Abbey Yarns was one of the people who really got me going as a designer and she is a wonderful person as well. Pat Kirtland of the Yarn Barn (in Virginia) has been not only supportive of my design work, but is giving to the knitting community as well. Ruth Sybers of Knitter’s Treat is also a good resource for knitters and carries all of my patterns, however she does not have an online shopping cart.

But, back to Nestucca Bay Yarns. For those of you in the UK who are interested in my patterns, they carry a full line. Cheryl Dawson is very nice, and very helpful. If you ever get to Pacific City you should look them up. They are located in a tourist area, so visiting is not outside the realm of possibility.

We live in a day and age where our standard Brick and Mortar (B&M) yarn stores may not carry what we are looking for. Or your favorite B&M might just have a web site with mail order. In any case, these are not huge companies. I love supporting smaller businesses, as they often have good service and friendly manners. You don’t get lost among the numbers with them.

 I have had to rethink my definition of a local yarn store somewhat with the advent of the Internet. Things are more global now, and that has affected how I do my shopping. I still look to my local store first, and then if they do not have what I am looking for I look to one of my favorite on-line stores. Just as in any market, there are yarn stores that are open, warm, friendly, and a pleasure to business with. And there are stores that don’t give good service. I do believe that I work with some of the nicest people.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas…

JoLene

Yarn Review & Shop Review: Alchemy at Stitches & Scones

Well I had a nice trip to Indianapolis. I went to Stitches and Scones in Westfield first, and it is always a pleasure going there. They have a fantastic selection and are always friendly and helpful. They give great service to everyone.

They have a wide range of Alchemy yarns, also, which is really what I was after. I sent some swatches off to Alchemy at the end of the week, but was out of their yarn to swatch with. I had some of the Silken Straw, and some of the Bamboo. It is my experience that I can get about 2 good size swatches out of a skein or ball of yarn in general. So, I needed more yarn. I bought the following: Silken Straw (semi-solid 38a foxglove), Bambo0 (colorway 11a, Dream), Sanctuary (92w Moonstone and 54w, Aquamarine) and  Haiku (26m Platinum).

The sanctuary is simply wonderful. It is 30% silk and 70% wool, there are 125 yards / 50 grams, and there are 6 stitches per inch. Wonderful drape, hand and stitch definition. I have some things which will work up nice in this yarn. Texture and lace, mostly.

The Haiku I did not see on the website yet. It is a lace weight 40% silk 60% mohair blend. 325 yards per 25 grams. Kid Seta has 230, Douceur et Soie  has 225, Kidsilk Haze has 227. So this is a bit finer.

Molly, the owner of Stitches and Scones carries other Alchemy Yarns as well.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene

Yarn Shop Review: Ozeyarn (Internet)

Ozeyarn is a shop located in Putney, Australia. I forget how I came across them, but they looked to have a nice range of yarns and the ordering was easy. They carry the Heirloom label (Baby wool 3 ply fingering, 4 ply fingering; Cotton 4 ply fingering, 8 ply sport; Breeze 8 ply sport; Alpaca 8 ply sport; Cashmino 8 ply), Belisa Cashemere (1.5 ply lace wieght cashmere or silk; lace weight cashmere wool blend), Fiberworks (Kid Modair Boucle, worsted; kid mohair brushed, worsted; Alpaca 8 ply, sport; 8 ply wool, sport; 8 ply silk ribbon, sport; 8 ply Silk Pearl; Silk Chunky Noil, 10 ply; Silk Shimmer, 2 ply; Silk Opulence, 8 ply; 2 ply Silk), Rainbow Wool8, 12 & 20 ply. Jo Sharp (DK wool/wool heather; Silkroad Aran; Silkroad Aran Tweed; Silkroad Ultra; Silkroad DK Tweed; Rare Comfort Mohair; Soho Summer DK Cotton; Desert Garden Aran Cotton).  This is from info I received in 2005, so their list may be a bit different now.

I tend to prefer yarns that are without a lot of contrast for my own knitting, although I love looking at the handpaints. Since I gravitate toward solids or handpaints without a lot of contrast, I will talk mostly about the basics. The Fiberworks label has hand dyed yarns in 20 some odd shades and colorways.

What I am really looking at is the Heirloom Cotton, which has 180 yards / 50 grams in the 4 ply or 130 yards / 50 grams in the 8 ply. It has a nice feel and weight. In the sample I have there are only 14 colors, I don’t know how many have been added since I recieved my color card. There is white, 3 neutral cream to taupe colors, pastels (mint green, baby blue, pink, lavender, periwinkle) , also a pale yellow green, yellow, coral, and a medium value red violet and a medium value purple. Note these are not their color names, these are my descriptions of the colors on the card.

I am also looking at the Heirloom Cashmino. This is a blend of 10% Cashmere, 55% Merino Ulta Fine, and 35% Microfibre. 109 yards / 50 grams. This is some nice looking stuff and I really want to get some to swatch. There are some jewel tones and some softer more muted tones. A nice palette.

I may have to get some of the lace weight, too.

They have good service and I was happy with the speed in which I received my order. A good online source if you want something a little different.

 Peace and Knitting, JoLene

Yarn Review and Yarn Shop Review: Yarn & Needle

I went to Dayton Ohio Monday, where my stepdaughter Erin and her husband Andy live. Erin and I are members of the Dayton Knitting Guild. This is a wonderfully active guild and has two meetings, a morning session and an evening session, on the third Monday of the month. The nifty picture on the home page with the sheep and yarn is one that I took in my great room. The sheep toy belongs to Katherine Misegades, and the yarn is from my stash. I took it in a window seat. That is available as free wallpaper for your monitor too, if you like it.

Erin and I went to the evening session, I spent the night, and we went to yarn stores the next day. Well, Stores for Knitters anyway. One of the stores we went to was the Yarn & Needle, a nice shop in Centerville, Ohio. This town has a quaint feel and many, many old buildings. The town originated from the late 1700’s and is rich in history.

The yarn store is on the second level, above an antique store. The people were friendly and inviting, and they have a nice selection of yarn. They had something for everyone, which is nice as I don’t really “do” fashion/novelty, or yarns bigger than worsted weight. I like the effect of finer weight yarns, and the knitting I like to do just doesn’t look good in the fashion and novelty yarns.

One thing that I enjoy is seeing the selection that is so different from what I can get at home. My local yarn store carries Cascade 220, for example. This store does, too, but they also have Cascade Yarns Arcadia. Arcadia is a machine washable and dryable cotton angora blend. Yum, yum. I bought three, a yellow with a hint of green in it, a lime green, and a wine color. At 5.5 sts per inch according to the label,  this would be about a DK weight. I would not wear it at it’s hottest in Summer, but I would wear it in the Spring or Fall. I have no idea whether I would wear it as a Winter garment (not due to weight but because I get so cold I think in terms of wool, wool, or did I mention wool?)…but I would be willing to try.

I also picked up two other yarns I have been wanting to try. Zarina, by Filatura Di Crosa. Zarina is an extrafine Merino. At 26 stitches over 4 inches, and 181 yards in 50 grams (1.75 ounces) this is considerably lighter. It is nearly the same yardage as Louet Gems Fingering Weight Merino. The Zarina has a looser twist than the Gems does. I bought some of that, too, but that was at the knitting guild meeting. I am still thinking baby things for most of this, but I am also thinking lace, socks, and for the Arcadia, pullovers. Last but not least is Idea, from Katia. I bought two, one in a pretty lavender and the other in a monochromatic variegated wine. This is a flat ribbon yarn (a tube that is flat), 50% cotton, 35% viscose, 15% linen. I am thinking of trying Brioche knitting with this or reversible cables. That might be kind of fun.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene

Angel Yarns Review: Yarns from Bergere de France

I recently visited the web site for Angel Yarns, an online store in the UK that I found while looking for yarns from Bergere de France. Angel Yarns is also open by appointment, and their physical address is: Angel Yarns, Angel House , 77 North Street, Portslade East Sussex BN41 1DZ, England. My order was processed and recieved in a very timely fashion and I was quite happy with my experience and purchase.

As you may remember, I have been on the hunt for two specific types of projects. Yarn for baby blankets, and yarn for knitting counterpanes. I have pretty much decided against craft store crochet cotton. I don’t have the experience with them to have an informed opinion regarding quality, and they did not have the finish I wanted. I wanted good stitch definition but still some softness, and the twist was a little hard for the project I have in mind.

The yarns I purchased from Angel Yarns from the Bergere de France line are wonderful. I have played with them a bit, and really like them. Why can’t we get these here in the states? I would guess two reasons. Primarily I think it is because we as a culture over here live busy busy busy lives and we are focused on quick and easy. How often do you see that in advertisements? Or as titles or subtitles? Fine yarns are not something we can rush through a project with as we rusy through our lives. As I said before, I have nothing against quick and easy. But for me it is like trying to live on fast food. It is awfully good from time to time, but too much of it makes me feel sick. It doesn’t nourish me. And the same can be said for yarn.

Fortunately in this day and age we are more connected and can order yarns from around the world. I ordered Coton a Tricoter, a yarn listed as a perfect summer yarn. It is available in white or ecru, and has 200 meteres per 50 grams. I really like this yarn and it is too bad it does not come in colors. However for traditional counterpanes, it is just fine…albeit a little finer than most on this side of the pond would want to knit with.

I also bought Coton 50, a 50% cotton 50% microfiber blend that comes in colors and has a more doable yardage of 140 meters per 50 grams. I do not know what the other color choices are besides the ones listed on the web site as I have not investigated it yet that fully. I bought the color chilli.

Last but not least is the Coton Mercerise, a mercerized cotton in what appears to be about a size 10 crochet cotton. At 565 meters per 100 grams, it is even finer than the Coton a Tricoter.

Rounding out the selection is Ideal, a 40% Worsted Wool, 30% Acrylic, 30% Polyamide blend that is machine wash and tumble dry. 125 meters per 50 grams, about 6 stitches to the inch. This might be a good choice for baby blankets or things you want to be easy care.

Like most good yarns, I would assume it is best to take it out of the dryer before it is bone dry. You know, tumble dry low until damp and then lay flat.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene

Yarn Talk: Black Water Abbey Yarns

Okay, perhaps I am biased. I will be the first to say that I am very grateful to Marilyn (Marilyn King, Black Water Abbey Yarns). If I had to pick who was amongst the most influential in my getting a start in knitting design, she would be at the top.

Marilyn has long been encouraging and loves everything I do. Who as a designer would not be happy as a clam to be in that situation?

That said, her yarn is very nice. If you are looking for super processed yarns you won’t find it from her. I was a little surprised at first and had to do a little adjusting in my thinking in what makes a good yarn. Now, it is one of my favorites. It has a life to it and good stitch definition that makes arans and other texture type patterns come to life.

The worsted weight is spun with a “z” twist, while most yarns we get have an “s” twist.  For those of you who have taken classes with Beth Brown Reinsel, you may have heard her talk about this yarn in her twinned knitting classes.

 The yarn does soften as it is worn, and the garments wear well. And if you want to purchase from someone who is genuinely helpful, well, you cannot go wrong with them. If her yarn is not appropriate for the type of project you want to do, she will tell you. I have seen her take knitters to other boothes at stitches before for this very reason. How many people do that?

Her website is here, and her contact information is Black Water Abbey Yarns, PO Box 470688, Aurora CO  80047-0688. phone 720-320-1003. email is marilyn@abbeyyarns.com 

Peace and Knitting, JoLene

Shuttle Shop Review

I was somewhat nervous the day before my surgery, and decided to go to a yarn shop to ease myself through the day. I rather felt like a prisoner having their last meal, as I knew I would not be able to drive for awhile afterwards.  I am always happy as a clam to go to a yarn store, so I knew this would be a good way to spend the day. I had been to the store one other time, so I knew in advance it would be a good store to go to.

I don’t know if you ever get to Warsaw, Indiana or not…but if you do, a visit to the Shuttle Shop at 107 East Market Street will not disappoint you. Owner Kathey Carvey is friendly and helpful without hovering. Some places the staff is friendly, but it is a superficial friendliness. I did not feel that at the Shuttle Shop. Kathy fits her shop perfectly…I have a hard time picturing her doing anything else! She made me feel welcome, and that is not something I sense everywhere.

There is a nice selection of yarns there, including Needful, Plymouth, Trendsetters, Tahki, Dale, Crystal Palace, Rowan, and others.  They also stock a nice selection of books, patterns, needles and notions.

At the front of the store there is a comfy seating area where you can sit and knit, and there is a cat named Vinnie who lives in the store. The Shuttle Shop has been open for about 4.5 years. They have changed location twice but the current location is working out very well and they are happy to put down roots there.

There is some sidewalk renovation going on which will provide planters with flowers and so on when complete. When that is not going on, he likes to spend time in the front windows. Vinnie is a large, handsome Tabby and when I visited he was on the sofa in the seating area. He is a good cat and seems to love being in the store.

They have classes, too, and is a good addition to your list of stores to go to if you ever get the chance. Their phone is 574-269-9090, and their address is 107 E Market Street, Warsaw IN  46950.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene